BC Climate: Monthly summary and long term trends

Author

Affiliation

Aseem Sharma e-mail: aseem.sharma@gov.bc.ca

Future Forest Ecosystems Centre, FCCSB, OCF, BC Ministry of Forests

1 October-2023 climate summary

• October-2023 was on average 2.12°C more warmer than normal .
• October-2023 was relatively drier than normal with most of BC exhibiting about 41% below normal precipitation and lower then normal relative humidity and soil moisture.
• The average of previous 12 months climate parameters indicate that BC experienced drier and warmer climate then normal between September 2022 and October 2023.
• The mean October temperature in BC is increasing significantly since 1950 at the rate of 0.02°C per year.
• The long-term October trends indicate decreasing trend in October total precipitation and relative humidity.

Below you find the spatial anomalies and long term trend of air temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), total monthly precipitation, relative humidity (RH), and volumetric soil moisture (0 - 1m depth) for the month of October-2023.

2 Mean temperature and vapor pressure deficit (VPD)

2.1 Anomaly: October-2023

Figure 1: Anomalies in mean temperature and VPD for October 2023 relative to climate average of October 1981 - 2010.

2.2 Last 12 months anomaly: September 2022 to October 2023

Figure 2: Average anomalies in mean temperature and VPD for September 2022 to October 2023 relative to climate average of 1981 - 2010 .

2.3 Long term trends

2.3.1 Spatial trends: October 1950 - 2023

Figure 3: Spatial trends of mean temperature and VPD anomalies for October 2023 :1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grid cells with statistically signficnat trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

2.3.2 Time series trends: October 1950 - 2023

Figure 4: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for October 2023 :1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

3 Precipitation, Relative Humidity (RH) and soil moisture

3.1 Anomaly: October-2023

Figure 5: Anomalies in total precipitation, relative humidity and volumetric soil mositure (0-1m) for October 2023 relative to climate average of October 1981 - 2010.

3.2 Last 12 months anomaly: September 2022 to October 2023

Figure 6: Anomalies in total precipitation, relative humidity and volumetric soil moisture (0-1m) for September 2022 to October 2023 relative to climate average of 1981 - 2010.

3.3 Long term trends

3.3.1 Spatial trends: October 1950 - 2023

Figure 7: Spatial trends of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil moisture anomalies for October 2023 :1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grid cells with statistically signficnat trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

Figure 8: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture for October 2023 :1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

4 BC seasonal and annual climate trends

4.1 Winter

4.1.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.1.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 9: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for winter:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.1.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 10: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for winter:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.1.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.1.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 11: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for winter:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.1.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 12: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for winter:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2 Spring

4.2.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.2.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 13: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for spring:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 14: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for spring:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.2.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 15: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for spring:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 16: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for spring:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3 Summer

4.3.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.3.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 17: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for summer:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 18: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for summer:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.3.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 19: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for summer:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 20: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for summer:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4 Fall

4.4.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.4.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 21: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for fall:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 22: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for fall:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.4.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 23: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for fall:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 24: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for fall:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5 Annual

4.5.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.5.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 25: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for annual:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 26: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for annual:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.5.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 27: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for annual:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 28: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for annual:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.